Artificial leg.



-H T. ODGERS.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 25, 1909.

Patented N0v.15,1910.

itnesses I i Harv T067 pen 0,

To all whom it may concern:

STATES BATE rm ,mnmr r. operas, or ootoareosfonro, assienoa To THEcommas rnanrr'aoar I COMPANY, OIv COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

' Be it known that I, I'IARRY T. Ononns, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in thecounty of Franklin and State of Ohio,haveinventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Legs,

I of whiohthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in artificial leg constructions andhas especial reference to the construction of the pivot between theupper and the lower leg member. Controlling devices are mounted upon the-upper and lower leg members in a well known manner and are operativelyassociated with the pivot or .joint between the leg members. Operatingmeans are connect ed with a suspender or harness fitted-upon theshoulders of the wearer, and are adapted manner.

to be operated by the movement of the shoulders appropriately, eitherupwardly,

forwardly or rearwardly, or the combination of these movements in a wellknown The pivot or joint between'the leg members is built up in a uniquemanner to provide for the mounting of a roller thereon with which theleg controllii'ig means is in engagement and by which engagement thecontrol over the lower leg section is made more complete and easy.

' The specific features will be hereinafter set out in detail.

In the drawings which accompany this specification and form a part ofthis application, Figure 1 is an artificial leg construction viewed fromthe side showing the operating means in position, the dotted linesillustrating the position of the parts when the leg is bent. Fig. 2 is afront view of the leg members showing the operating means in position,there being similar controlling I means on each side of the leg; Fig. 3shows the ioint or pivot member for connecting the leg sections, and inFig. 4 are shown detached the members appearing at the right hand end ofFig. 3.

:It is not deemed necessary to show the shoulder harness and for thesake of simplicity I have illustrated the upper leg sec.- tion, thelower leg section-in part, the pivot construction for the two sections,and the operating cord by which the movement of the lower leg section iscontrolled, the cord being shown induplicate. The upper leg section isshown at 1, the lower leg section Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 25, 1909. Serial No. 514,586.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

per leg section. The cord 4 is therefore seen to be free to move throughthe guides over the roller and pulley when force is exerted at eitherend thereof, and it is clearly seen that such force may be exerted bythe wearer on the ends 5 and 6 by lifting the shoulders upwardly andrearwardly and; pressing downwardly and backwardly with the stump of thelimb.

W'hen the wearer seats himself the lower leg section 2 remainingupright, the upper leg section assumes an angle therewith, about asl'appenswiththenatural leg,as appears in Fig. 1, and this operation thewearer may facilitate by proper movement of the shoulders setting up astress in the cord 4 through the ends 5 and 6. When desiring .to arise,the wearer will lift and throw backwardly his shoulders, which will havethe effect of pulling upwardly on the ends 5 and (i of the cord 4',"thereby operating to swing the lower leg section forwardly. In bothmovements of the lower leg section the operation is aided by theengagement of the up-in the cord 4 tends to throw the lower legforwardly, whereas it has been found that-if the cord is not passed overthe knee bolt, when the leg is bent, the initial effect of the stress israther to bend the leg more. Thus far the description has been'for themost part of well known devices which I adopt in my presentconstruction.

The .novel joint or pivot upon which the leg sections are connectedcomprises the hollow 'shaft 3 provided .with the enlargement 13 at oneend and the stop or cap member 14, preferably formed integral therewith,

while at the opposite end the cap member 15, is associated with theshoulder 16 and these are integrally formed with the threaded member 1?,which is adapted to be screwed into the threaded end 18 of the hollowshaft The roller 19 is adapted to be mounted on the shoulder 16 as willbe presently described.

In assembling the parts of the legand. the operating devices, the straps"21 and 2d are secured to the lower leg member appropriately and thelower leg member is positioned appropriately with respect to theupperleg member and the bracket 26; the roller 8 is then positioned onthe shoulder 13 against the head 14- of the shaft 3, the shaft is theninserted through the opening -in the head 22, and as the shaft is turnedon the threads, the other end 20 thereof enters the opening in the head25 of the strap '24, so that when the shaft is turned to for repairs orother purposes; the parts are simple in their construction and may bereadily replaced.

It will be seen that the shaft or bolt 3 is rigidly carried on the lowerleg section, and that during the bending of the leg the upper legsection will rotate on the shaft 3, bearing 40 thereon through thebracket 26.

Variations in the construction may be made and I do not confine myselftherefore to the specific details of construction 'set forth, but desireto have the advantage of any modifications lying within the scope of theappended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In an artificial leg, an upper leg section, a lower leg section, apivot bolt engaging said leg section comprising a cap and an enlargedportion at one end thereof, a de tachable cap and an enlarged portion atthe other end thereof, a roller mounted upon each of said enlargedportions, and an operating cord in engagement with each of said rollers.

2. In an'artificial leg, an upper leg section, a lower leg section, abolt forming a,

pivotal connection for said leg section com; prising a body portionhaving a cap at one end, an annular shoulder formed thereon adjacent 'tosaid cap, a separable cap member adapted to be secured to the oppositeend of said bolt, an annular shoulder formed on said detachable member,a roller adapted to be placed on each of said shoulders, guides on saidupper leg section, and an operating cord arranged in said guides inengagement with said roller and slidably connected with said lower legsection.

3. An artificial leg comprising an upper leg section, a lower legsection, a bolt pivotally connecting said leg sections internallythreaded at one end, a member adapted to be screwed into saidinternally'threaded end, roller members adapted to be mounted upon saidbolt, and strap members carried by said bolt andconnected to said lowerleg sec tion, guides arranged on saidiupper leg section, and operatingcords arranged in said guides engaging with said rollers and slidinglyconnected with said lower leg section. In testimony whereof I atfix mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY T. ODGER-S. Witnesses:

Jas. D. WINTERS, H. B. M LHOLLAND.

